Catapult



May 13 1924.

A. DEV. BARBIERI CATAPULT Filed Sent. 26, 1922 mvE'NTOR 2k Patented May i3, 1924.

STATES ANGELO DE BARBIERI, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

CATAPULT.

Application filed September 26, 1922.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it lrnown that I, ANGELO DE BARBIERI, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the yState of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Catapults, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a catapult for throwing glass balls and other fragile objects lcommonly used as targets in trap shooting although it may be useful in the operation of valves, dampers, semaphores and analogous uses.

The main obj ect is to provide a simple yet powerful device of this character in which the movable member is operated by coiled springs concentric with its axis Vof movement and normally held against the action of the spring by a suitable locking device which may beelectro-magnetically released bythe use of a very small amount of current.

Another object is to provide means operable at will for restoring the movable member to its locked position from a point remote from the device and at the same time to utilize the restoring means when actuated by said movable member when released for operating a semaphore or other signal to indicate at a distant station that the movable member is in its discharged position.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts ofthe device will be brought out in the following description:

In the drawings, Fig. l is a top plan of a catapult embodying various features of my invention with the spring actuated member in its locked position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view of the same device showing the means for restoring the movable member to its locked position after it has been released to throw the ball.

As illustrated, this device comprises a stationary supporting base orplatform -1-, a spring actuated carrier EZ- hinged at -3- to one end of the base -1- and actuated by a pair of coiled springs l1-- which surround the pivotal pins -3- and are therefore, coaxial therewith, and a suitable lock 5 also mounted on the base and containing an electro-magnet 6 and an Serial No. 590,618.

armature -7-- for holding and releasing the spring actuated member -2#.

The base -1- may be secured by any suitable fastening means to a stationary support not shown and is provided with a stop arm 8* projecting from the under side f into the path of movement of the platform when the latter is actuated by the action of the springs -tthrough an arc of approximately 180, or from its locked position directly over the base lto a position at one end of and in approximately the same plane as the base.

The movable section 2 normally eX- tends from the hinge pins -3- to a point in proximity to the adjacent end of the lock -5- and is provided in its normal upper side with a shallow pocket Q for receiving a ball -aor other article to be thrown, the rear end wall of said pocket being .of greater height than the remaining walls to form a resistance rib l0- having a downwardly and forwardly inclining front face l1- extending to the bottom of the pocket so that when the member -2 is released from its locked position the z 4 inertia of the ball combined with the momentum of the member 2- will cause the ball to be thrown forwardly and upwardly to a considerable height as a target for shooting, during which operation the member 2 will be brought to 'a `stop against the free end of the stop member -8-.

Suitable means may be provided for ro,- turning the member --2- 4to its locked position for repeating 'the operation just described and for this purpose is provided with a cable --12- which is passed around a sheave -l3- on the under side of the `base 1- and has one end attached to an cable at such distance as will permit the member f2- to swing from its locked position to engage the crank arm 16- just before the member -2- reaches its eX- treme open position for throwing the semiphore arm -17- upwardly to a substantially vertical position as shown by dotted lines Fig. 2 thereby indicating to the user that the trap or platform 1- is in its extreme open position whereupon, the trap may be returned to its locked position by simply drawing` down upon the handle 20- During' the opening movement of the trap -2- the end 'of the cable attached thereto, will of c'ourse, be drawn forwardly through an opening as "Qkin the base 1;- and in order that it may pass freely through said openi'i'ig without excessive frict-i'on when the trap is open, I provided an eXtra sheav'e journaled in the opening '421-' just in front of the sheave 1S- and upon which the cable is free 'to ride during the latter part of its opening movement and fore part of its closing movement.

rLillie braclnet @lllserves not tonly as convenient means of attachment for the adjaeen't end of the cable --'12-` but also forms a stop or rest to limit the closing movement of the tra-p by engaging the upper face of the base `l as shown inr Fig. 2.

The free end of the trap am is provided with ya socket -23- for receiving a metal sleeve @-24- which is tightly yfitted therein without turning or endwise displacen'ient and serves to receive a lock bolt 2 the latter being` spring` pressed to'ivardlthe lock by a coil spring #-264- within the sleeve `for interlocking engageinent with a movable locking member of said lock.

The lock may be of any suitable construction capable of engaging and disengaging the locking bolt +25- for holding and releasing the trap and also capable of being operated by electro-magnet, as -6-, for releasing said trap and for this purpose I have shown a locking member "-974 pi'v'o'ted at 28 to swing into and out of engagement with vthe bolt -'-25- and cooperating with another pivoted member #28s-- which, `in turn, normally rests lupon the armature -'7'- to normally hold the member-L27; in locking engagement with the `bolt This membe1" -29' is released from engg'ement with the armature 7- when the latter is drawn toward the electro-'magnet by the r"einergia'in'g thereof which may be ac* complished by closing a push button switch as 30.- of a dry battery circuit of one or more Cells.

Operativa.

lV'hlen the trap is locked in the manner described and it is desired to throw the object as *(c, it is simply necessary to push the button 30- which energizes the. electromagnet 6M thereby attracting the armature -7- and releasingthe lockingmembers -27- and 29 whereupon the spring pressure exerted upon the trap -Qf by the springs -tcauses the bolt -25 to trip the member fillfrom its holding position thereby permittingl the spriifigs to throw the trap from its closed to its open position and at the saine time throwing the 'b'all ee-#- or other object upwardly and forwardly to a considerable yheight- 'and a coneiclerable distance from the trap to be 'used for target practice. Pulling` down upon Jdie cord or cable l2- restores the trap 2eto its 'closed position ready for a repetition of the throwing operation, it rbeing understood that as the trap reaches its closed position the locking b'ol-t 2S-'- will b'e yforced inwardly against the action of the spring -26- by contact with lthe inclined face of the locking member H27- wh'ereupon it is forced under the vsame into Ilocking 'engagement therewith.

I claim;

In a catapult of the character described, a stationary platform, a carrier hinged at one end to one end of the platform and springactuated from a horizontal position at one side `of the hinge to a substantially horizoir tal .position at the opposite side of the hinge, cooperative members on the 'platfori'n and carrier normally holdingthe carrier in the first named position`r each of sai'dmembers being movable into and out of 4hf'lding engagement with kthe other member, a r stoparm on the platform for limiting the movement of the carri'ei to the second-named position, and means for tripping'one of said members to release the carrier from said firstlnaimed position, said stop-arm extending'under the longitudinal center ofthe carrier when the latter is 'in 'the second-'named position.

In witness whereof I have hereunto jset my hand this 23d day of September, 1922.

ANGEL() DE BARBIERI.

' lfritne'ssfes:

H, E. CHASE, lRITA GiiPoLuTo. 

